Prosper ISD parents are outraged after discovering that two girls, ages seven and five, were being sexually assaulted by their bus driver over the course of a school year.
The two girls rode this bus home every day, and their driver allegedly made a point to make their stop the last one, so he could abuse them when the bus was empty.
According to reports, the bus driver would keep two girls on the bus for three to five minutes after all of the children were off the bus. He would abuse her and then give her a piece of candy as she was leaving.
The bus driver explained away his route delays by saying the children were helping him pick up trash on the bus.
In a lawsuit filed against the school district, it has been alleged that he sexually abused these young girls over 100 times over the course of the school year.
The lawsuit alleges the children eventually told their mother about the abuse, and their mother alerted the school. Afterward, the bus driver was fired, and even though the school district eventually found video footage from inside the bus that captured the abuse, they never alerted any other parents about what had transpired. The crime was reported to the police, and the bus driver was arrested on child sexual abuse charges.
In fact, the district superintendent, Holly Ferguson told the mother to keep quiet about the incidents. She claimed this should be done in order to not attract media attention.
A spokesperson for the district said:
“We are horrified that an employee violated the trust of our families and students, as Prosper ISD’s foremost priority is to protect our students’ safety and well-being at all times. We strongly condemn the actions of any adult who would cause mental or physical harm to a child, and we do not tolerate such behavior.”
In the suit filed in Collin County, the family claimed that the district and its employees didn’t do enough to protect the sisters. The family is seeking more than $5 million in damages.
The litigation states:
“For months, teachers at the bus and car drop-off lines noticed Paniagua keeping Janie Doe 1 on the bus—alone—for an additional three to five minutes every morning she rode the bus but did or said nothing.”
Here’s a report from The Daily Caller:
The lawsuit called the abuse of the seven-year-old girl “far more extensive and brazen.” The bus driver allegedly “systematically ensured Janie Doe 1 was the last student off the bus so he could assault her at the back of the bus for three to five minutes every morning that she was on his bus.” Paniagua reportedly told Prosper ISD staff that the older daughter was “picking up trash” causing her delayed exit from the bus each morning.
On May 11, Paniagua was arrested and booked on several charges. He attempted suicide in jail and was released into his family’s custody, according to the litigation. He died on June 10.
Prosper ISD told the Daily Caller that the district took “swift and thorough action when we were first made aware of the allegation against this former employee.” A spokesperson said the district is unable to offer additional information amid the pending litigation.
Watch the video report below:
The lawsuit makes the claim that bus driver Frank Paniagua between September 2021 and May 2022 abused the girls at least 100 times. The bus driver accused has since passed away.
Sources: Libertyonenews, The Daily Caller, Dallas News
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